A multi-disciplinary invitational conference will be held November 3-5, 1983 in Boston on osteochondral allografts. Participating clinicians and scientists will present their most current research, summarizing past accomplishments, define areas of deficient knowledge that require high-priority attention in the future and contribute to a publication suitable for wide distribution to health care professionals, scientists, paramedical personnel and other interested individuals and agencies. Osteochondral allografts are currently being used by many surgical disciplines (orthopaedics, neurosurgery, oral surgery, maxillofacial surgery, plastic surgery, etc.) to reconstruct skeletal deficits associated with traumatic, degenerative and neoplastic disorders. Initial clinical results, based upon an evolving basic science program, are encouraging; but many issues related to banking, biology and clinical techniques remain unresolved. The conference will provide a forum for exchange of information pertaining to biologic and biomechanical behavior of bone grafts (cortical, cancellous, revascularized, autogenous, allogeneic), host immune responses to skeletal allografts, procurement and optimal conditions for long-term storage of bone and cartilage and clinical experience with osteochondral allografts to date. Expertise in all these areas will be available to summarize the current state-of-the-art in a rapid and concise fashion for the other conference attendees with emphasis on newer knowledge and technology. Directions for future research will be defined, and potential strategies discussed for addressing these areas of deficient knowledge. In addition, guidelines for the most promising clinical applications will be provided.